Lot 863 2019 Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Defined by the fog bank that blankets the region, and home to rare ancient sandstone seabed soils, the Russian River Valley is known the world over as a preeminent, cool climate winegrowing region, famous in equal parts for its Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. The latter is on offer today exclusively to this list’s members, another tasting room-only casualty from the early days of Covid shutdowns that we grabbed to pass the savings on to you!
Lot 863 is a pinnacle example of this region’s ability to bring its fruit to exceptional maturity and not be marred by being over-oaked. A 60/40 oak and stainless blend that saw malolactic fermentation, it’s equally enjoyable for the diehard ‘classic Cali Chard’ fans and the ‘varietally correct’ camp of stainless-steel Chard lovers, culminating in one of the most balanced, beloved, and approachable expressions of Chardonnay we came across from the 2019 vintage. Add in blue chip estate pedigree and a winemaker with decades of experience with the fruit of this region, and you have one of the best Chardonnay values all year.
Watch or listen as Chris Lafleur, Sommeliers Creed for Cameron Hughes walks us through a tasting of this Russian River Chardonnay.
Tasting Video Highlights:
00:00 Intro
00:16 2019 Vintage Chards
01:18 The Nose
01:59 The Palate
02:54 Where in your cellar?
Lot 921 2020 North Coast White Wine
You could drink any old Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. Or, you could fill up on this an EXTRA-ORDINARY, rare blend.
This one was a blast to put together! Here’s the inside scoop on how Lot 921—a deliciously rare white blend—came to be. In early 2020, our viticulturist, Zeke, picked up the phone to find out a host of unique varieties originally destined for a master blender of kitchen-sink grapes was backing out of a deal. The caller offered Zeke Chardonnay and Bianchetta Trevigiana (an Italian variety) from Carneros, Viognier and Pinot Grigio grapes from Sonoma Mountain, and Grenache Blanc and Albariño from the Suisun Valley, east of San Francisco.
Zeke conferenced with the winemaking team to find out if they wanted all those varieties, and their collective thinking was immediately affirmative. They reasoned that if this legendary master blender was planning to bottle all those grapes into one blend—the Cameron Hughes team should do the same. It’s so rare that we get to flex our creative muscles with whites from California. It’s usually either Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. But not Lot 921. This white HAS IT ALL. The creaminess and ripe tropical and orchard fruit of Chardonnay; the zesty-bright acidity of Bianchetta Trevigiana; the fleshy, juicy, floral-driven qualities from Viognier and Pinot Grigio, balanced by the soft, silken, and highly aromatic notes from Grenache Blanc and Albariño. The result is pure aromatic magic. Lot 921 is a wine you could smell all day and night. And at $16 per bottle, you should drink plenty of it, too.
We’re pouring Lot 921 side-by-side with Sole Meunière or Coq au Vin Blanc, as the creamy fruit will complement the butter and cream of these dishes, while the bright acidity will cut through it. You could also enjoy it alongside fish and chips.
Watch as Wanda Mann, Wine Writer and Educator, walks us through a tasting and unravels the mysteries of this fantastic white wine blend.
Wine Tasting Highlights:
00:00 Introduction
00:20 Mysteries of a White Wine Blend
00:26 The Color
00:47 On the Nose
01:08 On the Palate
01:57 Great for Pairing or as an Aperitif
Tasting Video Transcript:
00:00:08 –> 00:02:19
Wanda Mann says:Hello, Wanda Mann here in the CH Wine Tasting Room with the really fun white wine blend from the north coast of California. This is Lot 921 2020 vintage. It’s a bit of a mystery. It’s not revealing too many of its secrets on the label white wine blend. But we’ll delve into that a little bit. But let’s look at that color.
I don’t know about you, but I see that and I think California sunshine, really golden in the bottle. As you can see. Nothing to hide, but also get a little closer so you can see the color there. In bright, kind of a burnished gold. It’s sunshine. It’s walking on the beach it’s just relaxing, it’s just chilling out. Oh, on the nose.
That same happy feeling. It’s very flirty. It’s peachy. It’s floral. I get a little bit of grassy ness, some lemon zest, a little bit of lime. This just feels like sunshine is just the smell is easygoing. It’s pretty is just like, just sip me already and stop talking. So that’s what I’m going to do.
Wow. A lot of flavor, a lot of texture. Again, I’m getting that peach on the palate. Maybe there’s some here. There’s a body to it. So I’m guessing maybe some Chardonnay is what I’ve been told. And a little bit of Pinot Grigio and that peachy-ness. Definitely the Viognier and that grassy note coming from the Sauvignon Blanc. So I’ve unraveled a little bit of the mystery, but the real mystery is how do you make something this delicious at this price point?
I love this wine because sometimes we say, Oh, I just want a simple white wine. And we think that means, oh, they didn’t really have to do much, but to take those grapes, put them together at this price point to create a really nice drinking experience. And what I love about this wine is you can enjoy it by itself or it is food friendly, I would think soft cheeses, a fresh ceviche, shrimp cocktail.
There’s so much you could do with this wine, but really just to sit and enjoy and even the dead of winter, if you want to imagine that you’re walking on the beach in California, in the sun, this is a great little virtual escape. So drink well and enjoy. Cheers.
Lot 908 2019 Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Russian River Valley Chardonnay produced in a rich, buttery style for Lot 908 from the 2019 vintage.
If California has an ideal template for rich, textured, creamy Chardonnay, it’s undoubtedly Montrachet (or “Le Montrachet”): the coveted Grand Cru of Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune, where France has set the world’s standard for heady, oak-influenced whites. And if California has its own “Montrachet,” it’s undoubtedly Sonoma’s Russian River Valley.
Situated just over 50 miles north of San Francisco, the Russian River is now synonymous with award-winning, critically-acclaimed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, just like France’s fabled Burgundy itself. It’s always a treat to find the kind of hedonistic, creamy Chardonnay there that gets a lot of CH Wine aficionados swooning, and find one we did in Lot 908 2019 Russian River Valley Chardonnay.
We peeled this deliciously decadent Lot off from a higher-end producer who—luckily for us—didn’t end up needing a full allocation. After one taste, we grabbed it without hesitation so that we could offer you another rich, buttery-style Russian River Valley delight (at a gobsmackingly affordable price).
Fans of the style are going to want to stock up on Lot 908 before we run out of this delectable nectar. Waves of tropical fruit, ripe citrus, flower blossoms, peaches, apples, and toasty oak keep coming and coming in this Chardonnay, arriving like the tide with each sniff and sip. Speaking of seaside comparisons, you can almost feel your toes in the sand and the sun shining down on your face when this buttery, bold beauty hits your lips.
Watch as Chris Lafleur, Sommeliers Creed for Cameron Hughes walks us through a tasting.
Topics Include:
- 00:00 Introduction to the Tasting Panel, Sommelier, and Lot 908
- 00:15 About Chardonnay Grape and Varietal, and the Russian River Valley
- 00:37 Limited Production / Small Batch aspect of Lot 908
- 00:52 On the Nose of this Russian River Chardonnay
- 01:28 Lot 908 Chardonnay Taste
- 02:17 Where does it fit in your cellar? What food to pair this Chardonnay with?
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